1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device that prevents or controls pest/rodent infestation, more specifically, infestation of roof rats (Rattus rattus).
2. Background
Roof rats (Rattus rattus) live in high and non-accessible areas of industrial buildings, commercial buildings, or residential buildings. They have access to high areas by moving up and down pipes, conduits, and other vertical members. Once roof rats settle in a building, they rapidly reproduce five to eight young in a litter and in three months the pups become reproductively mature and independent. Usually three or more litters are produced annually.
In food-processing and storage facilities, roof rats eat grain or livestock feed and at homes or pet stores, they eat pet food and drink water left out for the pets. In addition to contaminating and destroying food, roof rats are known to damage insulation and electrical wiring. Roof rats also spread diseases such as murine typhus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, rat-bite fever, and the plague. Roof rats can also transfer diseases to domestic animals.
Destruction of structures and gnawable materials, loss of food and feed caused by roof rats cause businesses to lose millions of dollars a year. Pet stores easily spend at least $280,000 a year to reduce or control roof rat infestation, but the attempts are either unsuccessful or if successful, only temporary. Additionally, pet stores lose $12,000 to $24,000 in destroyed merchandise because of the rats.
Many of the current rodent shields require the user to cut, mold and bend the sheet metal on-site. This is costly, dangerous, time consuming and does not guarantee an exact fit; therefore, mesh or caulking is still needed to fill in the gaps between the conduit and the rodent shield. It is also very difficult and cumbersome to install these shields because there is not a proven or exact method of installation; the installer would have to guess and hope that it stays. This can also prove dangerous to the installer because they are working on twelve foot ladders, trying to bend, shape and install the sheet metal while trying to avoid fish tanks, customers, or merchandise around the buildings. Furthermore, many of these shields are unsightly.
Accordingly, there is a need for a rodent shield that is easy to install, aesthetically pleasing, pre-molded, cost effective, and versatile.